Knitting machine



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 wmv-@wm AN Nm,

V. LOMBARDI KNITTING MACHINE Filed OCI). 30, 1929 May5,41931.

v/// W H.. U. ...mig ...E

May 5, 1931. v. LOMBARDI KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 30. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvx-:N-roR Y MLM@ A-r'rNa-Y May 5, 1931- v. LOMBARDI 1,803,336

KNITTING MACHINE Filed oct'. so. 1929 s sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR Kwai/[m B YM -g-n ATTO NEY Patented May l5, 1931 .UNITED s'raras- VINCENT LOMBARDI, or BROOKLYN, NEW .Yonx

xNI'r'iING MACHINE Application led October 30, 1929. Serial No. 408,413.

This invention relates to knitting machines and includes certain correlated inventions and discoveries appertaining thereto.

It constitutes a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 135,533, filed September 15, 1926,l United States Patent #1,737,597, granted Dec. 3, 1929, and my application Serial No. 320,111, filed' Nov. 17

An object of the invention is to provide a knitting' machine whereby a large number of varied attern effects may be readily and economically incorporated into a knitted fabric.

In its more specific aspects, the invention has for an object the provision, in a knitting machine employing springbeard needles, of improved pattern-control mechanism arranged to be set .periodically in accordance with the configurations presented thereto by a pattern-determining medium, and in response t'o said setting to impart pattern-controlling actuations to the series of spring beard needles.

An additional object is to provide a knitting machine which is simple 1n construction, economical of manufacture and assembly, readily adjustable, capable of a Wide variety of uses, and adapted for ready and efficient operation.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth and the scope of the applicabodylng this invention; and Fig. 2 is a detail view of a position thereof.

y form of this inventionyand Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 illustrate several views of the needle and needle pressers thereof;

Fig. 8 illustrates the needle operations for the machine of Fig. 3;

the beard is not pressed closed on the other Fig. 3 is a sectional view of an alternative Figs. 9, 10 and 11 illustrate a third form of lhe invention, resembling in certain respects Figs. 12, 13 and 14 illustrate a modification of the machine of Fig. 1 to provide for 55 the knitting of a fabric of interlocked type.

, Fig. 1 shows a circular 'knitting machine of the vertical type, comprising a pair of cylindrical members arranged for relative rotation. There is provided a stationary 30 'needle cylinder 2O and a rotatable cylinder v21 extending aboutthe same and operatively connected to a suitable driving shaft throug the medium of a tooth rack 23 on the cylinder 21 and a crown on the driving shaft. a5 As exemplified, the cylinder 20 supports al row of vertical spring beard needles 26 adapted to be actuated to receive yarn from v yarn feeds (not shown), carried'by the cylinder 21 and to incorporate the same into a fabric either by knitting continuous rows of loops thereof to form Jersey cloth, or tucking, or otherwise varyin the knitting. The needles exemplified are ormed intermediate the ends thereof with outwardly extending butts 28. The needles 26 are mounted for vertical movement, in the usual manner in grooves 29 in the cylinder 20. Each needle may be of the spring beard type with the hook thereof extended to form a spring beard 110, the point of which is adapted to be closed to permit yarn ,already received (such as shown at 111) to be assed over the same upon the retraction o the needles. When hand, the. yarn previously received will ride upon the shank of the needle and will enter the beard along with the yarn (such as yarn 112) received from a yarn feed.

In order to control the closing of each beard 110 in accordance with a predetermined pattern, there is provided a shiftingv lever 31 for each needle. This lever 31 is mounted in a slot 32 in an annulus 33 in the cylinder 21 and is pivotally supported upon a rod 34 extending acrossthe slot. Extending between the bifurcated ends 114 of this lever is a lug 115 extending outwardly from a beard pressing plunger 116 slidably mounted in a slot 117 aligned with the vheedle slot and formed in an annulus 118 attached to the needle cylinder 20. On the upper end of the plunger 116 is a cam member 119 arranged by means of a bulge 120 to press against the beard 110 of the needle when the presser 116' is raised and the needle is lowered from yarn-receiving position, but not to press against the same when the presser is not raised. The usual series of sinkers 107 alternate with the pressers 119.

On the cylinder 21 are carried certain cams operative upon the needle butts for advancing or retracting the needles, a cam such as cam 38 being provided for lowering each needle after the passage of each yarn carrier, while an advancing cam, suitably mounted on cylinder 21, is provided for advancing the needles prior to the passage of each yarn carrier.

In order to provide for the control of the pressers 116, there is provided on the cylinder 2l a drum 37 positioned in advance of each yarn feed in the direction of movement of the cylinder but following the advancing cam for the needles. rlhis drum forms a part of the pattern control mechanism arranged to determine automatically what needles will have closed beards for any particular yarn feed.

The drum 37 is provided with an axial shaft 43 which is rotatably mounted in bearings 43a supported in brackets 432) on the cylinder 21, and is arranged for independent rotation in response to the relative rotation of the cylinders 20, 21, by means of a peripheral gear 430 meshing with a stationary circumferential toothed rack 44 extending about the cylinder 2O beneath the drum. lVth a view to roviding for the actuation of the presser s ifting levers 3l, each drum 37 carries about its periphery a plurality of adjustable elements or plungers 45 arranged for sliding movement in a plurality of oblique slots 46, the ends of which are adapted to receive the bent outer ends 47 of the levers 31 so that when a. plunger 45 is in inward position (with respect to the cylinder 20) at the time of the passage of the drum over a particular Shifting lever, the plunger will press upon the end 47 of the lever to advance the presser 116 associated therewith. Each drum 37 also carries slidably mounted in a plurality of oblique radial slots 48 a plurality of radially slidable members 50. On the inner side of each member 50 there is formed a sloping bearing surface 51 adapted to cooperate with the bearing surface 52 on the outer end of the plunger 45 so that upon a movement of the member 50 toward the axis of the drum the plunger 45 associated therewith will be thrust inwardly (toward the needle cylinder 20). For the purpose of actuating the radial members 50 of each drum at least once during each revolution of the cylinder 21, there are provided a number of plungers 53 each supported in a horizontal slot 54 in a stationary table 55, and each arranged for sliding movement to a position wherein a radial member 50 on the drum will be pressed upon the top of the inner end 57 of the plunger as the drum moves past the same.` The adjustable elements or plungers 45 are preferably in such an oblique position that the inner ends thereof are behind the outer ends thereof in the direction of rotation of the drum, so that whenever a plunger 45 is actuated by a member 50, it will have been actuated before it reaches the proper position for imparting actuation to a needle lever 31.

With a view to controlling the operation of the plungers 53, there is provided a pattern-determining element, which is exempliiied by an endless perforated tape 58, mounted on a cylinder 59, and cooperating mechanism exemplified by a row of slidable plungers 60 extending into the slots 54 and formed at their outer ends with fingers 61 arranged for insertion in perforations of the tape 53 when such pcrforations are aligned therewith. On the inner end of the plunger 60 is a lug'62 extending downwardly along the inner side of an upwardly' extending lug 63 on the plunger 53, these lugs being normally held adjacent one another by a spring G4 arranged to press against opposed shoulders 65 and 66 of the plungers 53 and 60, respectively.

The particular pattern band 58 exemplified isl perforated to form a series of longitudinal rows of pattern control configurations and is arranged in any suitable manner for step by step movement upon the cylinder 59 whereby said rows may be aligned with the row ngers 61 as desired.

In order to permit the step by step movement of the tape 58, there is provided means for withdrawing the fingers 61 inwardly from the tape. In the present instance, this means com )rises upwardly extending lugs 72 on the plungers 53 and cooperating cams 73 carried by a carrier 74 attached to the `cylinder 21 and so positioned as to follow each drum in the direction of movement of the cylinder. This cam is arranged to bear on the outer edge of the lugs 72 to cause inward movement of the plungers 53 and the linger-carrying plungers 60.

For the purpose of causing the proper positioning of the plungers 53 with respect to a particular pattern controlling configuration on the perforated tape, there is provided in the exemplified apparatus a cam 75 carried by the annulus 74 in a position in advance of the drum in the direction of movement of the cylinder and adapted to bear against the inner edge of the lugs 72 to thrust the plungers 53 outwardly. As the plungers are thrust outwardly, the spring 64 is compressed so as to exert pressure upon the finger-carrying plungers 60. Accordingly, when a perforation in the tape 58 is aligned with a finger 61 on a plunger 60, the finger will enter the lperforation and the plunger 60 and will be carried outwardly, permitting the plunger 53 to remain in an outward position; but, when there is no perforation in the portionof the tape aligned with a particular finger 61, the spring4 64 is retained in a compressed osi-` tion so that, when the bearing surface o the cam recedes, the compression of vthe spring will press the plunger 53 inwardly to a posi-` tion wherein it will be operative to cause actuation of the sliding members 50 and a resultant inward movement Vof the plungers 45 on the drum.

As will be apparent from the foregoing exemplication, a wide variety of fabrics may be produced in accordance with the invention, by the employment of pattern bands having various types of configurations. For example, if the machine is to be used to produce a fabric wherein the pattern effects vary from row to row, 'in the knitting, the erforations or otherl pattern control con gurations may appear at any such points on the pattern control member as will cause the proper needle actuations for that purpose. As will be apparent, the invention makes possible the variation of patterns from row to row and from wale to wale of a fabric according to any predetermined design and accomplishes this result in a ready and facile manner. p

Moreover, the invention may be employed to form an exceedingly finely knit fabric con-V taining varied pattern e'ects, since mechanism such as exemplified is readily adapted for use in the actuation of needles spaced as closely as twenty-seven or more to the inch.

In practice,'it is ordinarily desirable to perform the knitting operations with a row of needles extendin entirely around the needle cylinder, and it will be evident from the above that once the plunger-s 45 on the drum are adjusted, pattern control actuations will not only be imparted to certain needles of the group corresponding to the plungers 53, butalso to similarly placed needles in succeeding groups about the cylinder 20. In order, however, to realign the plungers 45 on each drum after a revolution ofthe drum about the cylinder 20, each of these plungersis formed, in the present instance, with a radial butt 80, and associated with each drum there is suitably provided an aligning cam 81 mounted for revolution but not for rotation with the drum, and movable into position .for aligning the butts prior to the passage of the drum over the plungers 53. Cam 81 therefore periodically returns the previously advanced plungers 45 to their outermost posi-- tions with respect to the needle cylinder. lVith all the plungers 45 retracted, due to cam 81, the pattern drum 37 is now ready to receive new pattern determining actuations from the next setting of the slidable members 53.

The cams for actuating the needle butts 28 are mounted on a rotatable ring 27, suitably driven by connections to the driving shaft of the machine.

From the above description it will be apparent each slidable member 45 in its innermost position with respect to the needle cylinder will contact with certain levers 31` spaced around the machine and thereby cause the correspondingpressers 116 to be raised to close the beards ofthe corresponding needles. Needles associated with levers 31 not actuated by the pattern drum 37 will not have their beards closed so that these latter needles will not form loo s of the yarn caught within their beards. gince the general manner in which bearded needles are employed for knitting a fabric is known in the art it is not helievedl necessary to further detail the manner in which the closing or non-closing of the needle beards produce variations in thc knitted fabric. After the pressers 116 have kept the selected needle beards closed for the desired time, anappropriate cam 125 mounted on needle cylinder 21 serves tok restore the levers 31, which operation at the same time retracts `pressers 116, so that the outer ends of the levers 31 are in their uppermost positions ready to receive a subsequent selective actuation during the next passage of the drum 37 or another drum similar thereto.

. Fig. 2 is a detail showing of the machine of Fig. 1 in which the needle presser 116 is shown fully raised so as to havethe bulge 120 close the beard of the needle as described above.

A modification of the invention is disclosed in Fig. 3 where the pattern drum also controls spring needles of a circular machine. These needles 130 are mounted in grooves in a stationarycylinder 131, as is customary. Associated with the needle cylinder'131 is a rotatable cam cylinder 132 operatively connected to a driving shaft 134. As illustrated the cylinder 131 supports a'row of vertical spring needles 130 adapted to be advanced or retracted to receive yarn from f suitable yarn feeds and to incorporate the same into a fabric of a desired type such as Jerseycloth or fabric of the interlockcd type as described in my United States Patent No. 1,541,230. The needle's are formed intermediate the ends thereof with outwardly extending butts 139. The needles are mounted for vertical move- Vment in a manner to be later described. The

usual sinkers such as those shown at 140 are provided between the. needles.

The camcylinder 132 has mounted thereon the usual cams for raising andV lowering thc needles at the proper times with respect to a passing yarn carrier. Cam 144- for lowering the needles is disclosed and 1t may be assumed that another cam appropriately mounted on cam cylinder 132 serves to raise the needles at the proper timed relation with respect to each yarn carrier and each pattern. drum.

The needle pressers 145 for closing the beards of the needles are mounted in slots in a stationary ring 146 surrounding the needle cylinder. Alternate needle pressers 145 arc double ended at their needle end, one projection 147 serving to close the needle beard at certain times while the upper projection 148 serves to close lthe needle beard at other times. The remaining needle pressers are single ended having only the projection 147. Each double ended presser has a wide upwardly projecting lug 149, while each single ended presser has a narrow lug 129. Lugs 149 and 129 are adapted at times tocontact with a rotating cam 15() to retract any advanced presser 145, while a suitable cam 1,51 is provided for advancing those double ended pressers which have their ends 152 elevated With respect to the slot in which they he. Cam 151 however, is not effective on the single ended pressers since lug 129 is too thin to make the cam effective. rl`he underside of each presser has a lug 153 which is adapted to Contact with a rotating cam 155 to advance either type of presser which may be in a horizontal position at that moment.

From a consideration of Figs. 3 to 6 it will he apparent that those double ended pressers 145 which have their ends 152 elevated can be advanced so that projection 148 and not 147 will serve to close the beard of the associated needle while the associated needle is in an advanced position. In-order that an interlocked fabric may result (as described in my patents above referred to) the sequential operation of the cams may be described as follows. Vhen ordinary knitting is desired all needle pressers are left horizontal, and cam 155 advances all pressers of a particular group -to cause projections 147 to close the needle beards and cause ordinary loop knitting. When interlock is desired of a certain group the needle pressers are le t tilted up at the ends 152 and this removes them from the control of advancing cam 155 and places the double ended pressers in the path -of advancing cam 151 whereby causing projection 148 to close the needle beard while the needle is in an advanced position. new yarn which lies on the inside of the needle shank for each double ended presser will therefore not pass into the hook of the needle as the needle is retracted but will pass along the side of the beard adjacent the needle presser until it slips over the top of the needle and then down on the outer side of the needle until the new yarn rests on the old web. After the needle has retracted far enough that the said new yarn has passed of needles, t

Thev

the closed beard of the needle, the needle presser 145 is retracted to permit the spring eard to open and receive the old loop within the beard. The needles in the group having single ended pressers do not have their beards closed and they therefore receive the new -varn without however forming loops thereof. For the next yarn however all the needle pressers of the group remain horizontal and are advanced by cam 155 so as to produce ordinary loops of said yarn. For further details as to the procedure for securing an inter-locked fabric reference is hereby made to the above mentioned patent. It is of course to be understood that the number of rotating cams for the needles and needle pressers will depend upon the number of yarn carriers and pattern drums 156 employed with the machine.

The remainder of the apparatus of Fig. 3 isquite similar to the apparatus of Fig. 2 of my patent No. 1,792,647, by means of which a pattern drum 156 is employed to predetermine which needle pressers shall be tilted and which shall be depressed to a horizontal position after all the pressers have been tilted due to the passage of a tilting cam 158. Pattern drum 156 is mounted for movement around the needle cylinder and rotating in response to lthis movement. The shaft 157 of the pattern drum is suitably mounted upon the rotating plate 159 which at its inner side carries cams such as cams 150 and 151 previously described. A. crown 126 at one end of the drum and a stationary tooth rack 160 cause the rotation of the drum as the drum is moved bodily around the needle cylinder. This drum 156 is somewhat similar to the drum shown in my above mentioned Patent No. 1,73 ,597. The drum contains a plurality of parallel grooves in its outer surface, each groove containing a slidable element 161 and each element 161 having a pivoted member 162 mounted thereon for rocking movement, as in the said prior patent. When the end 163 of the pivoted member 162 has been rocked so as to project be yond the surface of the drum, a cam 164, mounted on the housing 165 for the drum, is adapted to contact with the portion 163 and cause a movementof the associated element 161 towards the needle cylinder. When Aa member 162 has been rocked so as to project portion 166 beyond the surface of the drum, a similar cam 167 is adapted to move the associated element 161 away from the needle cylinder. As shown in Fig. 3, a. slidable element 161 in its inner posit-ion will, in the rotation of the drum, contact with the outer end of a presser 145 and push the element 145 Vdown out of the path of advancing cam 150 and into the path of advancing cam 155. However when the element 161 is in its outer position with respect to the needle cylinder it has no control over the pressers 145.

Lacasse e The various elements 161 may be held in 4, place in the drum slots b a coiled spring168 surrounding the drum. n twill also be noted that the drum is of smaller diameter at the end' adjacent the needle cylinder to permit the proper functioning of the elements 161. Each pair of element-s 161 and 162 is also preferabl sprung or bent s0 as to fit fairly tight y in its slot and prevent undesired movements.

From the above description it will appear that when a pivoted member 162 has its portion 163 pro]ecting outwardly the chain of operations is such that certain pressers 145 around the machine will be actuated by cam 155 so that needles corresponding to the said certain elements will produce-ordinary knitting of loops. Similarly a pivoted member 162 having its portion 166 projecting outwardly will mean that certain corresponding needles around the machine will not form loops.

It is to be understood that'the slots containing elements '169, 170 and the slots for jacks 145 are radially disposed with the center of the needle cylinder` 131, that is the slots for elements 169, 17 0, converge towardsv each other from their outer ends to the ends adjacent the needle c linder and the same holds and there is one of these jacks 170 for each slidable element on drum 156. The free ends of these jacks 170 project beyond the base plate 171 into the path of a rotating cam 173 which at the proper time raises each of the jacks 170 in turn to have the portion 172 contact and rock its corresponding pivoted member 162 either in one direction or the other depending upon the position of each jack 170.` Each jack 170 is pivotally connected to another member 169 in an extension of each slot. Each member 169 is connected to one end of a wire 174, the other end of which passes through an aperture in the lower end of a pivoted lever 175. A thumb screw 176 threaded on a` small tube 177 surroundin the wire serves by a coiled spring 178 to orce lever 175 against a lug 179 clamped on the wire at a predetermined point. The tube 177 lalso passes reely through the hole in lever 175 and'clamp or lug 179 is actually an extension `ot' tube 177. The upper end of each lever 175 is adapted` to contact with one end of a second lever 180.

Thelevers 180 have ngers adapted to contact with the paper pattern 181 or perforations therein, the pattern being 'mounted on a rotatable drum 182 as in my aforesaid patent. When a nger ,is resting on the paper pattern the relation of levers 175 and 180 is such that lever 180 contacts with shoulders 183 of lever 17 5, but if the finger enters. a pf'artforationthe lever 180 contacts with the shoulder 184. It will be apparent that spring 17 8 will keep clamp 17 9 and lever 17 5 in close contact with each other so that the position of clamp 179 will be determined by whether shoulder 183 or v 184 contacts with the end of lever 180.

In order that the position of the slidable elements 170 may be accurately determined by the presence or absence of a perforation under the lever 180 corresponding to each element 17 0,l an additional cam 185 is mounted on the under side of rotatable plate 159 which, after all thev levers 17 5 and 180 have been set in accordance with one pattern setting, will carry all of the slidable elements 169 towards the needle cylinder by contacting with projection 186 until the portion 172 on each element 170 is immediately below the path of the ends 166 ofthe ivoted levers carried by the pattern drum'.- fter the passage o cam 185, the springs 17 8, corresponding to those levers 180 which have not encountered a perforation in the pattern 181, will pull back the corresponding slidable elements 170 until the portion 172 of each such element is immediately below the path of the ends 163 of the pivoted members on the pattern drum. After the elements 170 have been selectively moved in the above fashion, cam 173 as above described will raise the elements 17 O in succession and selectively set the pivoted members 162 either with end 163 up or end 166 up. Those meinbers 162 with their ends 163 knocked up will, due to cam 164, cause the pattern drum elements 161 to be moved forwardly and cause predetermined elements 145 to be removed rom the path of cam 151, so that the needles corresponding to said predetermined elements will form loops. In other words, each finger 180 which rests on the pattern 181 will so set its corresponding element on the pattern drum 156 that predetermined needles spaced around the machine will knit loops of the next yarn that passes, while each inger 180 which passes through a perforation in the pattern sheet 181 will so set its corresponding element on the pattern drum 156 that predetermined needles spaced around the machine will lmit loofplsl of the next yarn that passes, while each ger 180 which passes through a perforation in the pattern sheet 181 will so set its corresponding element on drum 156 that predetermined needles spaced around the machine will not knit loops of that yarn. Cbviously if there are no perforations under any of the fingers 180 then every needle in the machine will knit a loop of the next passing yarn, while if every finger 180 finds a hole, then said next passing yarn will not be looped by any needle.

As previously stated there is a lever 180 corresponding to each slidable element 161 of the pattern drum and preferably the number of elements 161 should equal the number of needles in the machine divided by a whole number. Thus if there are 300 needles in the machine there may be 30 slidable elements on the pattern drum, so that through the drum 156 each finger 180 controls 10 needles spaced around the machine.

The pattern sheet 181 may be moved a step at a time from one row of conigurations to another in the usual manner as described in my application Serial No. 320,111, where it is also described how the levers 175 and 180 may be periodically disengaged.

The machine of Fig. 3 may be provided with a pattern drum for each yarn carrier, and the various drums and cams are assumed tobe rotating about the needle cylinder in a counter clockwise direction. The yarn carriers may of course be provided with yarn of different colors so that a variety of de signs may be produced due to the use of the interlock fabric.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate various positions of the needle pressers of the machine of Fig. 3 with respect to the cams and needles and require no further explanation over that given for the said figure.

Fig. 8 shows the bearded needles of the machine of Fig. 3 in their various positions. The needles to the left of this ligure are performing regularknitting while the needles to the right show how a previous yarn 190 is in front of alternate needles and behind the remaining needles so that the interlockel fabric will be produced when the next yarn is caught and knitted by the said needles.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 illustrate a modification of the machine of Fig. 3 and is also directed to a machine employing spring needles. Pattern drum 200 is constructed similarly to drum 156 and the slidable elements 201 each having a pivoted lever 202 are controlled by the paper pattern in exactly the same manner as the slidable elements of drum 156 of Fig. 3. That is, element 203 by cam actu-A Those that remain elevated will thereafter be actuated by a cam similar to cam 151 of Fig. 3 and will be moved towards the nee'- dles and the end of each such jack 205 will contact with a needle 206 and press the spring against the shank of the needles thereby closing the needle hook. The general manner in which knitting is accomplished by spring cylinder needles is well known in the art and a detailed description thereof is not believed necessary for the understanding of this invention since it has already been disclosed how the pattern drum 200 selectively actuates the spring needles to cause them to close and knit loops of the hooked yarn. Alternate spring needles in this figure have long butts and the remainder short butts so that an interlocked fabric can be produced if desired. Rotatable ringr 207 carries a cam 208 for raising the long butt needles to the interlocking position and a cam 209 for lowering all needles. Rotatable ring 210 carries cams for raising and lowering the slidable elements 203 after they have received pattern determining actuations by the paper pattern sheet. The needle jacks 205 alternate with appropriate sinkers 211 in the usual manner as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the usual sinker cam also being' provided. Fig. 10 shows how the spring needle is closed by the actuation of needle jack 205. As is better illustrated in Fig. 11, the end of jack 205 which strikes the spring of the needle is grooved in a vertical plane 4'so as to insure positive action without danger of slipping.

Figs. 12, 13 and 14 illustrate a modification of the machine of Fig. 1 arranged to cause a needle movement of the general type exemplified in my Patent No. 1,541,230, whereby there may be provided a multi-color fabric, such as exemplified in my said patent as well as in my Patents Nos. 1,426,576 and 1,541,230 wherein one yarn is formed into a series of interknitted loops in one section of the fabric, and a second yarn is formed into a series of interknitted loops in another section of the fabric, the yarn not entering `into the fabric in any section being interlocked with the interknitted loops by being caught between the loops in certain, preferably alternate, wales, and being extended behind the interknitted loops in adjacent wales.

In Figs. 12 to 14 the needle presser 220 is controlled by the paper pattern and the pattern drum in the same manner as the needle presser 116 of Fig. 1, except as hereinafter described. For ordinary knitting of loops by the needles 222 the pressers 220 remain retracted, that is, they are not raised by the levers such as levers 31 of Fig. 1. But when the needles are advanced as a yarn carrier is passing,'each presser 220 will subsequently be actuated by a rotating cam 224, which as shown in Fig. 12 will thrust forlos4 ward theupper end of each presser 220 to close the beard of its associated needle. Regular knitting will therefore result.

When however' it is desired to interlock the yarn from a given yarn carrier, all the` pressers of the desired group are raised by associated levers similar to levers 31 of Fig. 1. Alternate pressers 220 are provided with a slot 221 while the remaining pressers do not have this recess. Vhen the pressers are advanced, these slots are placed opposite the path of cam 224- which in 'its passage will not actuate those having slots 221. This mea-ns that alternate pressers will close the beards of their`needles while the remaining needles of the selected group will have open beards. Fig. 13 shows the vclosingof the beard by a presser having no slot, vwhich permits the new yarn 225 to slip outside the beard as the needle is retracted and pass over the top of the needle on to the previously knitted web, While allowing the beard to open at the proper time to hook the previous loop. as'shown in Fig. 14. The withdrawal of the pressers away from the needle beards is caused by a suitable rotating cam 226. Those needles opposite pressers with no slots will hookyarn 225 along with the previously formed loop thereby 3G forming the interlocked 4fabric.

It is to be understood that the above embodiments of the invention are only typical of a variety of forms that the invention may possess, the scope of the invention being in* dieated by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a circular knitting machine, in combination, a stationary needle carrier, a supporting member rotatably mounted with respect thereto, a row of spring beard needles supported by said needle carrier, means supported by said rotatable member to causeV said needles to be advanced and retracted., a plurality of presserssupported by a stationary part of said machine vand arranged for movement to a position for pressing upon the beards of said needles to close the same, and pattern-control mechanism for causing such movements of said pressers, said mech- 50 anism including a drum mounted on said rotatable cylindrical member and arranged for independent rotation in response to the rotation of said rotatable member, a plurality of independently adjustable elements carried by said drum, means for controlling the adjustment of said adjustable elements', pattern-determining means arranged to present a succession of series of varied configurations to said adjustmentcontrolling means,

'50 and means to cause the operation of said adjustment controlling mechanism in response to presentation of each series of said congurations.

2. knitting machine comprising a row of spring needles, a pattern drum mounted for'movement with respect to said row and rotating in response to said movement, `elements mounted on said drum adapted to be set ,according to predetermined pattern conligurations, jacks individual to said needles and controlled bysaid drum for determining the knitting operations of saidneedles, each of certain of said jacks having one portion forclosing its associated needlebeard at one time and a separate portion for closing its needle beard atanother time, and cam means tor determining which portion contacts with the needle at any particular instant.v

3. A knittingV machine comprising a row ofspring needles, .a pattern drum mounted for movementV with respect to said row and rotating in response to said movement," ele- .inents'mounted on said drum adapted to be e set according to predetermined pattern con tigurations, presserjacks individual to said needles and controlled by said drum for yclosing when in an advanced position thev beards of said needles, and cam means for advancing 'towards said needles 4alternate jacks ot a given group, while permitting the remaining jacks of'said group to remain retracted.

4. A knitting machine comprising a row of spring needles, a pattern drum mounted for movement with respect to said row and rotating in response to said movement, ele ments mounted on said drum adapted to' be set according to predetermined pattern configurations, presser jacks individual to said needles and controlled by said drum for closing when in an advanced position the beards of said needles,` cam means for raising all of said jacks, said drum subsequently lowering certain of said jacks, cam means foradvancin' those jacks that are in a raised position,`and separate cam' means for advancing those in a lowered position.

5. A knitting machine comprising a row of spring needles, a pattern drum mounted for movement with respect to said row and rotating' in response to said movement, elements mounted on said drum adapted to be set according topredctcrmined pattern con iigurations, presser jacksr individual to said needles and controlled by said drum for closing when in an advanced position the beards of said needles, cam means for raising all of said jacks, said drum subsequently lowering certain of said jacks, cam means for advancing those jacks that are in a raised position, and common cam means for ret-racting said raised and said loweredjacks.

l6. A knitting machine comprising 4a plurality of yarn carriers, a circular row of spring needles, cams for advancing andretraeting said needles, pressers individual to said pressers to cause each of t e .associatedneedles to knit a loop of yarn from one yarn carrier as the needles are advanced and retracted, and cam means operative when the needles are advanced during the passage of a second yarn carrier to cause said pressers to close the beards of alternate needles while they are in an advanced position, whereby when the needles are subsequently retracted the yarn from the second carrier will lie outside the shanks o1` said alternate needles and will be within the beards of the remaining,` needles of said group.

7. A' knitting machine comprising a circular row of spring needles, a stationary carrier for said needles, presser jacks individual to said needles for controlling the beards of said needles, each o certain of said jacks havin adjacent the needles -at least-two space projectin portions, pattern means for causlng one o said portions on each of a lurality of said jacks to close the needle eards when the said needles are in an advanced position, and for causing another of said port-ions to close the needle beards when the needles are in a retracted position.

8. A knitting machine in accordance with claim 7 characterized in this that alternate presser jacks have projections for closing` the needle beards either in an advanced or retracted position, while the remaining jacks have a single projection capable of closing j the needle beards only when the needles are vin a retracted position.

9. A. knitting machine comprising a circular row of spring needles, means for advancing and retracting said needles as the knitting pro "fesses, presser jacks individual to certain o said needles for closing the needle beards when said certain needles are in an advanced position and in a retracted position, rotating cam means for causing said jaclfs to be effective to close the beards when the needles are in an advanced position, rotatin can means for causing said jacks to be e ective to close the beards when the reedles are in a retracted position, 'and attern mechanism for determining whic cam means is operative at any particular instant.-

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of October, 1929.

VINCENT LOMBARDI. 

